MARIN COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) – North Bay drivers are seeing regular gas cost $6.79 a gallon.
In the last week in the Bay Area gas prices have gone up more than 60 cents on average. In Napa the average is up 61 cents, in Oakland the average has gone up 68 cents and in San Jose, the average has gone up 70 cents.
San Francisco has the most expensive gas on average. Compare this to national gas prices: the average price of a gallon of gas nationwide is $3.79, and the state average of $6.29, according to AAA.
The average price of gas nationwide only went up 11 cents last week. Gas prices dipped for awhile and it stayed that way for most of the country but not in California.
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Why are gas prices so high?
The main reason for record high gas prices is supply not matching demand. Earlier in the year, this problem was exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to gas experts. Hurricane Ian is certainly not helping out, and neither is inflation.
But according to a blog post from GasBuddy, the main reason California is seeing higher gas prices again has to do with refinery snags on the West Coast, Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes and Plains. Refinery issues in these areas are leading to supply challenges that are causing prices to spike, despite oil prices dropping, according to the post.